This was a mortifying blow to the hopes of the Prussian monarch, and must have made him severely sensible of his too common error, in placing all his attention on the possible advantage, and overlooking the probable danger. Nor did that evil come alone. He sustained another heavy stroke in the capture and destruction of a rear guard, consisting of three thousand men, under general Diercke. Yet, after all these losses, he was still so formidable, that the cautious and moderate-minded Daun, instead of attacking him, took shelter in the strong camp of Pirna, and kept close within his entrenchments.

His Prussian majesty seemed also, at last, to have acquired a lesson of moderation. Though joined by twelve thousand men, under the hereditary prince of Brunswick, he put his army quickly into winter-quarters at Freyberg, without attempting any new enterprise; so that, the loss of men excepted, affairs in Germany were nearly in the same situation as at the opening of the campaign. The country had been desolated, and much blood spilt; but Dresden was the only place of any importance that had changed masters.

In spite of all the eloquence and popularity of Mr. Pitt, so many indecisive campaigns began to cool the zeal of the English nation in the cause of their illustrious but burdensome ally, the king of Prussia, to whose wars they could see no end. And the success of the British arms in America and the West Indies, opened the eyes. of the people more fully to their true interests, and made them sensible of the folly of defending the electorate of Hanover at such a vast expense of blood and trea

sure.

Immediately after the taking of Louisbourg, which had long been considered as the key of Canada, a plan was formed by the British ministry for the reduction of Quebec, and the entire conquest of New-France, as soon as the season of action, in those northern latitudes, should return. In the meantime an expedition was undertaken

against

against the island of Martinico, the chief seat of the French government in the West Indies; a place of great importance by its position, and also by its produce.

It was known that Martinico, and all the sugarislands belonging to France in the American Archipelago, were in great distress for want of provisions and other necessaries; which it was not in her power to provide them with, by reason of the inferiority of her navy to that of England, and consequently her inability to protect her trade with them. It was therefore supposed they could make but a feeble resistance, and would surrender on the first summons.

The armament destined for that service, consisted of ten ships of the line, under commodore More, and five thousand land-forces, commanded by general Hopson. The design upon Martinico, however, was abandoned as impracticable, after a slight attempt; though seemingly with little reason, as the French governor possessed neither courage nor conduct, and the distressed inhabitants appeared willing, it was said, to submit to a power that could more readily supply their wants, and afford them a better and more certain market for their produce. But be the prospect of resistance small or great, it is certain that the British troops were re-embarked within twenty-four hours after their landing, and that the armament directed its course toward the island of Guadaloupe; a less splendid object of conquest, though not a less valuable possession.

The British fleet appeared before the town of BasseTerre, the capital of the island, on the twenty-third of January; and next day it was taken, after a terrible cannonade, accompanied with incessant showers of bombs. Never did the commanders of the English navy exert themselves with more intrepidity and judgment than on

4. Lond. Gazette, March 7, 1759. See also capt. Gardner's Account of the Expedition against Martinico and Guadaloupe.

this occasion. They left the land forces nothing to do but take possession of the place, which was abandoned by the garrison3.

The reduction of the town of Basse-Terre, however, was not immediately followed by the conquest of Guadaloupe. The slowness, timidity, and irresolution of the operations by land, afforded the fugitive garrison leisure for recollection; and to fortify themselves, by the help of the inhabitants, in a strong post, which obstructed all communication with the more fertile parts of the island. Despairing therefore of being able to subject Guadaloupe on that side, the invaders proceeded to attack it on another, known by the name of Grand-Terre. Fort Lewis, the chief defence of this division of the island, (which is separated from the other by a shallow strait) was taken, sword in hand, by the marines and royal Highlanders, after a short but vigorous cannonade from the fleet.

But the conquerors were guilty of the same error as formerly. They did not take advantage of the enemy's terror: and they suffered the same inconveniences from their neglect. The fugitives found refuge in the mountains, where they became formidable; and the event of the expedition was even doubtful, when general Barrington, having succeeded to the command of the land-forces, in consequence of the death of Hopson, changed the plan of operations. Instead of attempting to penetrate into the country, which abounds with strong posts and dangerous defiles, he re-embarked the troops, and successively attacked the towns and villages upon the coast. By this mode of making war, every considerable place was soon reduced; and the governor and inhabitants, tired of their uncomfortable situation in the mountains, and seeing no prospect of relief, surrendered the island to his Britannic majesty. Mariagalante, and some other small islands in the neighbourhood, also submitted. And the inhabitants obtained the same terms with those of Guadaloupe;

5. Id. ibid.

6. Capt. Gardner, ubi sup.

namely,

namely, the undisturbed possession of their private property, and the enjoyment of their civil and religious privileges".

This moderation was equally generous and political, and may be supposed to have had a serious influence upon the minds of the French colonists, even in NorthAmerica; where the campaign was not yet begun, and where the plan of operations was as extensive as their objects were great. It was concerted to attack the French at all their strong holds at once: that general Wolfe, who had so eminently distinguished himself at the siege of Louisbourg, should proceed up the river St. Lawrence, with a body of eight thousand men, and a stout fleet from England, and besiege the city of Quebec; that general Amherst, now commander in chief of the British forces in North-America, should, with an army of twelve thousand men, reduce Ticonderoga and Crown-Point, cross lake Champlain, and, proceeding by the way of Richelieu river to the banks of the St. Lawrence, join general Wolfe in his attempt upon the capital of Canada; and that brigadier-general Prideaux, with a third army, reinforced by a body of provincials and friendly Indians, under sir William Johnson, should invest the important fortress of Niagara, which in a manner commands the interior parts of the northern division of the new world. It was farther proposed, that the troops under brigadier Prideaux, after the reduction of Niagara, should embark on lake Ontario, fall down the river St. Lawrence, besiege and take Montreal, and then join or co-operate with the combined army, under Amherst and Wolfe.

A bolder system of war, it is owned, was never framed; but many doubts have been started in regard to its natural practicability, founded on the strength of the places to be attacked, the extent of the operations, and the disposition of the French forces. The marquis de Vaudreuil, governor of New-France, lay in the neighbour

7. Lond. Gazette, June 14, 1759.

hood

hood of Montreal, with a body of five thousand veteran troops; while the marquis de Montcalm, his lieutenantgeneral, whose reputation was already high in the military world, took the field with an army of ten thousand Europeans and Canadians, for the defence of the capital; and M. de Levi, an active officer, was at the head of a flying detachment, which, as well as the army under Montcalm, was strengthened by a large body of trained Indians, intimately acquainted with all the woods and defiles. The garrison of Niagara consisted of at least six hundred men; Ticonderoga and Crown-Point were in a respectable condition; and the city of Quebec, naturally strong from its situation, the bravery of its inhabitants, and the number of its garrison, had received every additional fortification that the art of war could give it. All these obstacles, however, were surmounted, though not immediately, by a happy mixture of conduct and valour; the wonderful effects of which ignorant and credulous men ascribe to supernatural influence, and dull and timid men to chance.

The army under Amherst, by the progress of which the operations of the other two were supposed to be in some measure governed, was early in motion. But the season was far advanced before the general could pass lake George. He thence proceeded, with little opposition from the enemy, to Ticonderoga, so fatal to the British troops in the former campaign. The French seemed at first determined to defend the fort. But perceiving the English commander resolute, cautious, and well prepared for undertaking the siege, and having, beside, orders to retreat from place to place JULY 7. toward the centre of operations, rather than run the hazard of being made prisoners of war, they abandoned the works in the night, and retired to Crown-Point.

To Crown-Point Amherst advanced, after repairing the fortifications of Ticonderoga, which the enemy had damaged. But before his arrival, the garrison had retired to Isle Aux Noix, at the lower end of lake Champlain. There the French had three thousand five

VOL. V.

Y y

hundred